ADHD and Sleep

Does your ADHD child take a long time to fall asleep at night? How do you help your ADHD child sleep? Here are some answers for you! Please consult your doctor before starting or stopping any medication even over the counter medications. Also I highly recommend starting on a small dose.

• Have you tried a warm bath or reading? My son struggles falling asleep sleep and he wanted to so much. He said he just can't stop thinking. So I give him 1 mg melatonin at bedtime which he always asks for. He really does want a good nights sleep and is much happier the next day with it. Best of luck!

• My daughter did, but spoke to her pediatrician about it and he prescribed a medication to help her relax of a night time, now bed time isn't a huge drama

• Melatonin may be something to look into,all natural and non addictive.

• Yes! We do meletonin to help with that, and it seems to work pretty well. Good alternative to a prescription sleep aid.

• My son has always had sleep issues. We now leave him to it. He try's to have a regular sleep pattern but fails. We are awake all night sleeps for 6 to 7 hours then awake untill he can't stay wake anymore. One day is never the same as the next. 

• Both of my ADHD boys take melatonin...it really helps!

• My son is already on 3mg of melatonin but not working. Only sleeps 4-5 hours

• Sleep is something that most ADHSers struggle with. A good bedtime routine is important. Some tips: Warm bath, no electronics, magnesium taken with calcium and soft music. Melatonin can be good but please consult your doctor before giving it to them on a regular basis.

• Here is something to think about: It could be anxiety or OCD that keeps him/her up at night. Helping it from a different outlook really helps. Also running around all day may make their body tired but making their mind tired requires creativity, mental projects , ect. 

• My ADHDer used to take anywhere from 2-5 hours every night to fall asleep untill he started taking 4mg of melatonin. It helps him and also helps us to get a full nights sleep

• A dimmer light helps whilst getting ready for bed. It's a gentle light. Even better is a Himalayan salt lamp (no blue light in it and helps filter the air). No electronics or TV at least an hour before bed. A good diffuser with some therapeutic grade essential oils like lavender. I use some oil blends on her feet (relaxing ones) or a wee foot/leg massage with these oils as I chat to her on her bed. If she can "download" her thoughts and day before lights out it helps it not run round her head. I read to her, pray, sing and give back a tickle. So when I leave room she's starting to nod. This all takes 15 mins maximum even though sounds like a long process. Plus I put Epsom salts and lavender oil in her bath. All this works 90% of the time.

• My little girl takes forever. She has to 5mg of melatonin; and even sometimes the melatonin hasn't worked.

• We tried melatonin and lavender, it didn't work for us, then he was given clonidine, then when that quit working he now takes trazodone.

• My daughter was prescribed clonidine as melatonin didn't work she takes 1/2 tab 1/2 hour before bed and she now sleeps thru the nite she s 11

• Yep sometimes up to 2 hours, he has Melatonin and I lay with him until he goes off. Though last night he told me I didn't have to lay with him so I could have mummy time. I found him eating chips in bed little monkey.

• My pediatrician had my daughter taking melatonin at night and it works great.. they say their adhd meds wear off at that time and they need something to assist them to sleep

• Lavender. .it's natural. .rib it on the bottom of his feet and he will be knocked out.

• Melatonin! It's a miracle here. This is a natural hormone provide by the brain but it seems there is not any for a ADHD brain.

• Melatonin is great but remember to use the lowest possible effective dose. Start at 1mg and go from there. If you give your ADHD child a dose that's too high, it can have the opposite effect and NOT make them sleepy. Clonidine is another one that doctors prescribe to help ADHD sleep issues. It's marketed as a blood pressure med but doctors are prescribing it in 0.1mg tabs that can be taken in 1/2 or whole to help with sleep issues. Talk with your pediatrician. A consistent bedtime and routine can help. Reading after they lay down can help also to give the meds time to take effect and them time to wind down. Good luck!

• Melotonin the over the counter one. If it doesnt work there is a prescription one. My boys haven't had it the last 2 nights as i tan out and the youngest who doesn't have adhd has been a nightmare to get to sleep.I love that its all natural. I started At the lowest dose and worked my way up..

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